SIX LADY MONARCHS ON WNBA ROSTERS AS SEASON OPENS THIS WEEKEND

Six Lady Monarchs alumni, Ticha Penicheiro (Sacramento), Clarisse Machangauna (Orlando), Adrienne Goodson (Utah), Hamchetou Maiga (Sacramento), Nyree Roberts (Cleveland), and Mery Andrade (Cleveland) will all be on WNBA rosters as the season opens this weekend.

In addition, Anne Donovan (Charlotte) and Maura McHugh (Sacramento)will again be head coaches for their respective teams. Charlotte reached the WNBA finals and Sacramento reached the WNBA Western Division Finals. ODU and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame coach Marianne Stanley, who coached the Lady Monarchs from 1978-1986 is the Washington Mystics head coach.

Penicheiro ('98), a two-time All-WNBA performer has led the league in assists each of the last two seasons. Her career average is 7.5 per game. Ticha will also have a bobblehead doll in August. She will be joined on the team by Hamchetou Maiga. Maiga is a three-time All-CAA and All-CAA Defensive selection. The 2001 CAA Player of the Year, Maiga averaged 11.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 2002, helping ODU go 28-6 and advance to the NCAA Elite Eight. Maiga was the 12th overall pick in the WNBA draft in April.

Clarrise Machanguana ('97) helped Charlotte reach the WNBA Finals last year. She is now playing for Orlando. Machanguana averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds last year.

Adrienne Goodson ('88) averaged 12.2 points per game last year and 17.3 in 2000. Goodson went over the 1,000 career point mark for Utah last season.

Mery Andrade ('99) started all 32 games for Cleveland last year as she averaged 4.8 points and 3.1 assists per game. She will be joined on the squad by Nyree Roberts ('98) who played for Houston in 1998 & 99 as well as Washington in 1999.

Lucienne Berthieu, who was on the injured list was released today (May 28), by Seattle. Berthieu, a three-time CAA Player of the Year selection averaged 14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds.